From the Michigan Board of Tourism

As a parting gift when I left my job in June, we received a gift certificate to 2 nights at a B&B in South Haven, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan. While the notions of "north" and "vacation" have never mixed for me, a free trip is still a free trip. What we found was an endearing blend of small town eclecticism, country charm, and a just the right dose of eccentricity. Not to mention a secret that I had not been privvy to...Lake Michigan is BEAUTIFUL and ocean-like. I guess my experiences with the Great Lakes had been limited to quick drive-bys or glimpses from Chicago.

But viewing Lake Michigan from the expanse of a lush, sandy beach, I might not have known that I wasn't on the Atlantic, had it not been for the hardwood trees and lush lawns that greeted me back at the top of the dune. Beyond the well groomed streets of the small town, mostly geared for tourism, is a rich merging of artists and rotting antiques along the Blue Star Highway, that travels the perimeter of the lake. We visited potters, glass blowers, and junk collectors, finding something interesting and delightful at each stop.
Because every time we visit a new locale, we have hard time resisting casting ourselves among the locals, we checked out home prices, considered what our new careers would be, and debated which of you would actually come to visit us in our new vacation-like setting.

The local movie theater would be enough to draw you in. For first-run movies, the ticket price was a mere $3.50 and all of these concessions rang up to only $3.75.

It was the perfect weekend trip, as indicated by the new pumpkins adorning my porch, the fresh apples in the bowl, and Pat's current glee in the garage as he sharpens the rare spoke shave he found while there. Who knew north could be so nice?

(This was supposed to be a picture of a big clock but in my hurry to get in place before the timer went off, I apparently BLOCKED the clock portion of the picture!)